Vacuum sealing appartus.



E. NORTON 6( L. C. KRUIVHVIEL.

VACUUM SEALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION F|LD1UNE29.1914.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

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E. NORTONL l.. C. KRUMIVIEL.

VACUUM SEALING APPARATUS.

APPLlcATloN FILED JUNE'29. |914.

6%44h Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

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E. NORTON L I.. C. KRUIVIIVIEI..

VACUUM SEALING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IUNEZS. 1914.

Patented Apr. 30, 1918.

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VACUUM sEALINGAPPAR/Ius. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. |914.

` I I Patented A151130, 1918.

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Snom/toc @M MW l illustration one embodiment 'of the inven- UNITEDSTATES PATENT'A orrrcn.

EDWIN NORTON, OF PAGET WEST,

BERMUDA, AND LOUIS C. KR'UMMEL, OF BROOKLYN,

NEW YORK;l SAID KRUMMEL ASSIGNOB. TO PERFECT VACUUM CANNING COMPANY, 0FCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, Al CORPORATION OF MAINE.

VACUUM SEALIN G APPARATUS.

To all 'whom z't may concern:

Be it known that we, Enwnv NORTON and `Louis C. KRUMMEL, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Cedar Lodge, Paget West, Bermuda, andvBrooklyn, in thecounty of Kings, State of New York, respectively, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum SealingApparatus, of which'the following is a description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference markedthereon.

The invention relatesto new and useful improvements in machines forclosing cans or containers, and more partlcularly to machines whereinthe air is exhausted from the which includes means for exhaustingthe-air from the can or container, and means for closing the 'can orcontalner while 1t 1s stlll connected with the vacuum creating means,

which rotating support is also fed with ther cans or containers duringthe continuous travel thereof. These and other'objects will in' part beobvious, and will in part be hereinafter morefully disclosed.

In the-drawings, which show by way of tion,

Figure 1 is a view partly in section' and partly in side eleva'tlon,showing an apparatus embodying our improvements.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through theupper part of theapparatus.y

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the vsupportingv table and the path oftravel of the conlSpeciication of Letters Patent. Patented Apr.. 3U,llgl; Application filed .Tune 29, 1914. Serial No. 847,980.

tainers durin the exhausting of the air and the closing o the same.

fFlg. 4 is a detail showing the upper end o chamber in contacttherewith.

Fig. 5 is a similar View, showing the aperture, in the container closed.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the valve in one of the vacuum pipes.

Fig. 7 is a detail showing the tripping pin for the valve which controlsthe vacuum.

Fig. .8 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale 'showing theupper part of 4the supporting post and the various devices supportedthereby.

Fig. 9 is a horizontal sectional view through the 'valve for controllingthe vacuum.

The invention consists generally in providing an apparatus in which thecontainers to be closed are received by a continuously travelingsupport, with which are associated separate y operating sealing chambersand solder heating devices, so that thecans may be fed in succession onto the traveling support, and during the travel of the support,

the container in section and the sealing p the air is exhausted fromeach can or 'cony tainer, after which the aperture formed thereinisfclosed by solder or otherwise.

Thesealing chamber is so constructed as to engage the end only of thecontainer and surround the aperture through which the l.air is exhaustedfrom the container. Said sealing chamber is provided at its lower endwith a bell-shaped elastic member which engages directly the'end orouter wall of the container, so that the atmospheric pressure on saidrubber wall will tend to form a tight joint between the same. Eachsealing chamber is provided with a the vacuum chamber, and a valve inthe pipe is operated in timed relation to the travel of the support andcontainer, so that the air is exhausted from the container after which asoldering iron melts the soldersurrounding the aperture in thecontainer,so as to close the aperture, and after the aperture pipeleading to is closed and the solder cooled or set, the

tact with the container` so it may be dis-v charged from the travelingsupport.

The apparatusalso lincludes devices Whereby'the pipe leading from thevacuum creating means to each vacuum chamber is held closed-unless a canis presented to the closing device, and devices are also provided forreleasing the vacuum in the vacuum chamber subsequent to the raisingofthe vacuum chamber from contact with the can or container.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, the inventionconsistsjn an apparatus for closing containers, which ispreferablyprovided with a supporting j base 1,V from which rises a vertical post2, around which a table or support `3 is rotate'd. This support 3 iscarried by a sleeve 4, which surrounds the fixed post 2, and said sleeve4 at its lower end carries a gear which meshes with a worm gear on themain shaft 5.- The main'shaft 5 may be driven by a suitable belt wheel6. 'The rotation ofthe main shaft will cause the support 3 and thesleeve onv which it is mounted to rotate about the central fixed' post2. This support 3 fis preferably drlven at a uniform speed andmovescontinuously. The containers 7 to be closed, are preferably of thetype shown in detail in Figs.y 4 and 5.

Thecover 8 yor upper end of the container is seamed on to the same inany desired way, and said cover has an aperture 9- through which theairv may exhausted from the container. A protecting cap 10 is preferablysecured to the under face of the cover, di-

rectly beneaththe' aperture 9, and this cap` isformed with suitableopenings, so as to permitthe .air to be exhausted through the aperture9,. but prevents any solid floating parts in the container fromcontacting with the aperture, so as -to prevent a proper exhaustinglofthe air. y

Solder is preferably used for closing the container, and as shown inFig. 4, the solder disk 11 is attached to the cover, and is per-`forated so that the aperture through the solder is in alin'ement withthe aperture in the cover. It is obvious however that solderA may beffedto the tipping iron instead of being applied to the cover of the can.

The containers to be closed are fed to the rotating support 3 inthepresent embodiment of the invention, by a rotating drum 12, which isprovided` with a spiral thread 13 projecting slightly above a support 14on which the'containers are placed, and alon'g which support thecontainers are fed. This drum may be rotated by a lsprocket chainconnection 15 with the main shaft 5. The containers may be fed to thedrum if desired, or placed lon the support 14, and will be conveyedalong the same in proper timed relation to the travel of the support 3sothey may be forced on.'to the traveling supportl by the thread on thedrum.

r The traveling support 3 is provided with suitable gages to properlylocate the containers in spaced relation to one another thereon. Thepresent apparatus is designed so that there are twelve independentsealing chambers and solder heating devices, each of which travels withthe travelin support 3. The sleeve 4 on which the trave ing support 3 ismounted, also carries a head 16, which has laterally projecting armssupporting a web 1T. The web 17 carries a series of bearings 18 and 19.

The sealing chamber for each closing device is formed of a sleeve 20,which is journaled in the bearing 18. This sleeve 20 at its lower end isthreaded to receive an open cage or head 21. A glass sleeve 22 restsagainst a washer at the lower end of the sleeve 20, and an elasticbell-shaped member 23 restsa ainst the lower edge of said glass sleeve.T e cage 21 has a flange 24, which engagesthe rubber or elastic member23 and presses the same against the glass sleeve, and theglass sleeve inturn against the packing washer at the lower end of the sleeve 20. Thiscage 21, as. herein l shown, has two tached to the central post 2 of theapparatus. e A set screw 33, and feather, may be used for this purpose.The head 30 carries a roller 34, which runs in a groove 35 in a cam ring36, which cam ring is also rigidly fixed to the collar 37, which ismounted on the head 30, and this permits the head to rotate freely inthe collar as the gear 31 rolls about the stationary gear wheel 32.

The hub 16 rotates with the traveling table and this causes the bearings18 and 19 to travel, and the sealingchamber and rod 29 will travel withsaid hub and bearings. As the head 30 is moved relative to the fixed camring 36, the roller 34 will travel along the cam .groove in said ring.This groove is so proportioned aseto raise and lower the rod 29.

A collar 38 is fixed to the rod 29, and a spring 39 is interposedbetweensaid xfed `collar and a screw cap 40 threaded into the gear wheel32. The roller 34 is carried by a aaeaeaa to engage the upper wall ofthe sleeve 20, and when the rod 29 is raised, sald sleeve 2O will beraised therewith. When the rod 29 is is depressed, however, the sleeve20 will move .downward therewith until the arms 26 engage the topl of`the container, whlch will lnnit the downward movement of the sleeve andpermit the rod to have a `further downward movement compressing thespring 39..

.5 When the cage 21 rests on the upper end of the container, theelastic" member 23 w1l1 be forced against the upper'end of the con-`tainer, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This rubber section, as abovenoted, 1s bellshaped, and isprovided with a thin edge.

` The atmospheric pressure on the outerface of this rubber member whenthe air is exhausted from the sealing chamber, assists `inl forcing saidthin `edge of the rubber member against the container top, and forms atight sealing joint.

The rod 29 at its lower end isv formed with a tipping iron 42. Thistipping iron is electrically heated, and is so positioned relative tothe container that when itis moved downward by the cam roller 35,11twill contact with the solder surrounding the aperture,

lthe collar 51 and this ring at and meltthe same. causing the apertureto be closed, as clearly shownv in Fig. 5. 30

The tipping iron 42 is electrically heated. @ne of the Vwires 43'leadingto the tipping iron is connected to the metal work of the machine orapparatus for the return line 0f the current; while the other wire 44leads upward throughthe head and is connected v to atermina'lf45, whichin turnisl connected to a collar 46. This collar 46` is mounted on asleeve `47 of insulating material. A second collar 48 also mounted onsaid sleeve contacts with the rst collar 46.V This second collar 48 isattached to a rod 4 9, and the vcurrent :tor heatingthe tipping iron issupp plied through ,this rod. This connection permits the head with they'tipping l,rod t0 be rotated'. The sleeve 20'formingthe seal` ingchamber does not rotate with the tipping rod, but moves up and'down intimed relation to the reciprocations of the tipping rod. I f

50. This sleev ei"s' threadedA onto A lcollar 51, having a cone againstthe lower face ofV the the post. face=is seated sleeve 50 and `a.suitable packing is placedbetween these parts in order to make a tightjoint. Aring 52, which is also cone shaped, .seats against rests on acollar 53, which isseated on `the shoulder at the upper end of the post.The" ring 52 turns freely on the post and is provided with 12 openings.

threaded into each openingand extends radially from the post, andoverhangs the cam disk carried by the gear wheel At the upper endfo'ifthepost 2 is a sleeve n ed on to tube 16, andlcloses its lower sideA pipe i 54 is l The outer end of thepipe 54 is connected by apipe 55 tothe pipe 28. This 'pipe 55 has a flexible section 55a. vThe center ofthe post is formed with a chamber 2, and each oftheopenings in the ringis connected to this chamber 2a by means of a port 2b.

e vacuum chamber 2a? 'in the post is connected through a suitable dottedlines in 'Fig.g1, to a pump. Each pipe 54 is providedfwitli a valve 57.This valve is shown in 'detailfi-n Figs. 6 `and 9. Said valve 'iscone-shaped, and is held seated by a spring 58. The valve is turned by adouble lever'59. Mounted on the fixed cam ring is, an adjustable pin 60which isposi'- tioned so as to engage-tbe double lever or member 59andopien the valve. similar pin is mounted on said cam ring andpositioned so as 'to close the valve. The valve casing 57 is alsoprovided with an outlet port 57a which leads :to the atmosphere.

e cone valve rot'atingflin the casing is a' threeway valve, havingvvports a,` b and c.

When the valve is inthe-position shownfin Fig. `9, the 'vacuum chamberis connected with the vacuum apparatus s'o that the can or containerwill When the pin for closing the valve strikes the -double lever 591,it will swing the cone A mosphere prior'to .the raising ofthe head so asto move vthe chamberout of contact with the can or container.

A tube 61 is threaded into the upper'end ofthe post and connects withthe chamber formed in said post. A ber disk 62 is mounted on said tube.A metal disk 63 rests on the liber disk, and is insulated from Athe tubeby a sleeve 64 of insulating material. A second `metal disk 65 lrests onthe disk 63, and a fiber disk 66 is clamped against the metal disk 65 bya nut 67.

The rods 49 are threaded into the metal `disk 63 and this metal diskturns with the e combined sealing and closing hub and t devices. hemetal disk is held from turning, and is connected to a suitable sourceof electricity. A vacuum gage 68 is threadthe outer end of the same.

lin order to "control the" vacuum chamber so that when there isno canthe vacuum pipe will not be open'to the atmosphere, the pipe 28 isconnected with a sleeve 69 which contains a valve operated by an arm arm'70 is pivotally connected with a rod 71 which slides in a bracket 72.The

rod ex- Another' leading to the atpipe 56, shown in tends through thecage and a coil spring 7 3, bearing at one end against the bracket 72and at the other end against a collar on the rod normally forces the roddownward. When the head descends on to the can body, the rod projectsbelow the cage so as to strike the can body and be raised before thecage yengages the can body. This raising of the rod turns the valve inthe pipe 55 so as to open the pipe and permit free access between thevacuum chamber and `the vacuum creating device when the valve 57 isopened. The lifting of the head will permit the spring 75 to move therod downward and close this valve so thatif no can is placed underneaththe head thepvacuum pipe 55 vwill-not beopen to the atmosphere, eventhough the valve 57 be turned by thel rotation of the support so as toconnect the pipe 55 through the pipe 54.- with the vacuum creatingmeans.

The operation of the apparatus will be apparent from the abovedescription. The

illedcontainers are fed by the drum .on to the rotating table. As thetable rotates, the cam groove in the fixed cam ring will force theroller lldownward, and this will lower the sleeve 20 and carry the cageintol `contact with the kupper edge of the container, and at the sametime carry the iexible rubber ring into contact with the cover about thecentral aperture therein.- By the V devices above described, if there isa can underneath the head, then the vacuum chamber contained inthe headwill be connected with the pipe 55 so that the can may be placed undervacuum. As the table continues to rotate, the valve-operating lever 59comes into contact with the pin 60, which opens the pipe and allows theair to be exhausted from the container. After the air is' fullyexhausted from the container, a further downward movement of the rod 29carries kthe tipping iron into contact with the solder surrounding theaperture in the container, and said solder will be melted and caused toclosethe aperture. The sleeve 20 in maintained under a vacuum until thel solder is cooled' or set, after which it is raised by the upwardmovement of the tipping iron.

Before the vacuum head is raised, the valve 57 strikes thesecond pinabove referred to which closes the pipe between the valve and thesuction creating means and opens the pipe'28 through the valve to theatmosphere. It will thus be seen that the apparatus includes deviceswhich exhaust the vair from the container during the continued travel ofthe same, and also includes devices for closingthe aperture in thecontainer subsequent to the releasing of the container from the vacuumpressure.

The gear wheel 32 is of suicient width to permit the gear wheel 31 toreciprocate with the tipping iron and still maintain its tion, as setforth in the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A vacuum sealing apparatus comprising a continuously travelingsupport for receiving apertured containers, means for feeding saidapertured containers onto saidsupport during the travel thereof, andmeans associated with and moving with said traveling support forexhausting the air from said containers :and for closing the aperturestherein, said last-named means includinga `closing head having a vacuumchamber, said head beingv adapted to engage the end ofthe containerabout said aperture, devices for placing the vacuum chamber under vacuumand whereby said vacuum chamber may be opened to the atmosphere prior tothe moving of the vacuum chamber out of contact with the end of thecontainer, and a tipping iron located in said vacuum chamber. l s

2. A vacuum sealing apparatus comprising a continuously travelingsupport for receiving apertured containers, means for feeding saidapertured containers onto said support during the travel thereof, meansmoving with said traveling support for exhausting the air from saidcontainers and for closing the apertures therein, said means including aclosing head having a vacuum chamber, means for moving said head intocontact with the end of the container about its aperture, exhausting theair from the container and withdrawing the same from contact with thecontainer during a single rotation of said support, a tipping iron forsealing the containers, means for heating said iron, and means formoving said tipping iron into and out of contact with the aperture inthe container after the air has been exhausted from the container andprior to the opening of the vacuum chamber to the atmosphere.

3. A vacuum sealing apparatus comprising a continuously travelingsupport for receiving apertured containers, means for feeding saidapertured containers onto said support during the travel thereof, meansmoving with said traveling support for eX- hausting the air from saidcontainers and for closing the apertures therein, said means including aclosing head having a vacuum chamber, means for moving said head intorality of combined sealing and closing devices mounted on and movingwith lsaid support, each of said devices including a sleeve movable upand down relative to the support, said sleeve having a chamber therein,and a member at its lower end adapted to engage a container about acentral aperture therein, a pipe connected with the chamber in saidsleeve for exhausting the air therefrom, a valve in said pipe, and meansfor automatically operating said valve during the travel of the hub foropening and closing said valve.

5. A vacuum sealing apparatus comprising a supporting base, a fixed postcarried thereby, a sleeve rotatingabout said post', a table carried bysaid sleeve, a hub fixed -to said sleeve and carrying a support, a

plurality of combined sealing andclosing y devices mounted onl andmoving with said lili ing a supporting base,

support, each of said devices including a sleeve movable up and downrelative to thesupport, said sleeve having a chamber therein, and amember at its lower end adapted to engage a container about a centralaperture therein, a pipe connected with the chamber in said sleeve forexhausting the air therefrom, a valve in said pipe, means forautomatically operating said valve during the travel of the hub foropening and closing said valve, a tipping iron extending into saidsleeve for closing the aperture in said container, and means for heatingsaid iron.

6. A vacuum sealing apparatus comprisa fixed post carried thereby, asleeve rotating about said post, a table carried by said sleeve, a hubfixed to said sleeve and carryingla support, a plu sealing and closingderality of combined a hub fixed to y said sleeve and carrying asupport, a pluvices mounted on and moving with said support, each ofsaid devices including a sleeve movable up and down relative to thesupport, said sleeve having a chamber therein, and a member at its lowerend adapted to engage a container about a central aperture therein, apipe connected with the chamber in said sleeve for exhausting the airtherefrom, a valve in said pipe, means for automatically operating saidvalve during the travel of the hub for opening and closin said valve, atipping iron extending into said sleeve for closing the aperture in saidcontainer, and means for heating said iron, a fixed cam, a headconnected to said iron and having a roller engaging said cam forreciprocating said iron, said iron having means for positively raisingfor yieldingly depressing the same.

7. A vacuum sealing apparatus comprising a supporting base, a fixed postcarried thereby, a sleeve rotating about said post, a table carried bysaid sleeve, a hub fixed to said sleeve and carrying a support, a plu--rality of combined sealing and closing devices mounted on and movingwith said support, each of said devices including a sleeve movable upand down relative to the support, said sleeve having a chamber therein,and a member at its lower end adapted to engage a container about acentral aperture therein, a pipe connected with the chamber in saidsleeve for exhausting the air therefrom, a valve in said pipe, means forautomatically operating said valve during the travel of the hub foropening and closing said valve, a tipping iron Aextending into saidsleeve for closing the aperture in said container, means for heatingsaidI iron, a xed cam, a head connected to saidL iron and yhaving' aroller engaging said cam for reciprocating said iron, said iron havingmeans for positively raising the sleeve and for yieldingly depressingthe same, and means for rotating said iron.

ln testimony whereof, we affix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

EDWIN NORTON. LOUIS C. KRUMMEL. Mr. Nortons witnesses:

GRACE P. BRERETON, G. B. WRIGHT. 4 Mr. Krummels witnesses: @SCAR M.S'rnvns, AGNES KRUMMEL.

the sleeve and'

